Last year Brassfield Estate Winery harvested their first grapes on August 21 and considered it a bit early. This year winemaker Jason Moulton and his crews have already been in the vineyards for two weeks.
It’s the same story at Shannon Ridge, where more than half of the Sauvignon Blanc is already in and the red grapes are rushing toward ripeness. At Six Sigma, Matt Hughes opened harvest for Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc on August 6 — well ahead of the more typical September start.
“Early seems to be the new normal,” Hughes said.
Last year producers reported picking a week to 10 days ahead of the average schedule, with R Vineyards culling their Viognier two weeks in advance. Many Lake County winegrape growers say this year marks the earliest harvest they have ever experienced.
“I initially thought mid-August,” Moulton recalled. “It crept up quickly. We’re almost done with whites and I’ve got Cabernet I’m about to bring in.”
December rains followed by an unusually warm winter led to an historically early budbreak. Some questioned whether vines ever reached a dormant state. Local winemakers anticipated a jump start on harvest as far back as April.
Predictions ran as much as a month ahead, until a string of cool spring days and an unusual July rain slowed the vines.
The early date brings two considerable bonuses, at least for those in the wine industry. With some grapes already through the crush and others on the way, winemakers can anticipate spending time with family on Thanksgiving, perhaps even Halloween. More importantly, harvest will likely wrap up comfortably ahead of any possible El Nino downpours.
Heavy rain late in the growing season devastates a crop. Grapes swell up, diluting flavors and upsetting the balance between natural acids and sugars. Drought — a constant presence in California lately — causes less damage, thanks to the ability of vines to withstand dry spells. Still, plants will shut down after long periods without water.
Stress over an extended time leads to a ripple effect. Salt levels build, forcing potassium to increase in stride. This, in turn, spikes pH levels.
So far, the drought has had negligible effect on Lake County vintages — although some pin the blame for this year’s lower yields on the weather.
According to several winemakers, yields are down across the county by as much as 30 percent. In some cases berry size is smaller than normal, as well. But Hughes believes that the cyclical nature of the grapevine plays more of a role.
The 2013 and 2014 vintages in Lake County were exceptional. According to he California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Grape Crush Report, for example, harvest numbers for 2013 jumped 25 percent over the previous year, amounting to 43,619 tons. But vines tend to back off after producing large yields.
“It’s hard to say the drought has had a negative effect on yields,” Hughes observed.
Moulton also attributes it to the vicissitudes of the industry.
“That’s farming,” he said with a shrug.
But all of this truly excites winemakers. Low yields and smaller grapes often translates into more concentrated flavors. There is general agreement that, barring any unforeseen issues, 2015 could turn out to be an outstanding vintage — just one with fewer cases for sale and perhaps less profit.
“You don’t get the production you want, but you may bet better scores,” said Shannon Ridge’s Joy Merrilees.
The Rocky and Jerusalem fires, followed by a few days of haze that draped the area when smoke from elsewhere drifted south, caused some momentary worry. This was particularly true in the case of Six Sigma Ranch and Winery. Rocky blacked 250 acres of ranchland on one side while Jerusalem approached from the other.
Smoke can taint the flavor of grapes — and consequently the wine produced from them. Near harvest, however, it requires a stretch of several days, perhaps even a week, of coverage before smoke damages the fruit.
“We weren’t that nervous about the smoke,” Hughes reported. “Our concern was the vineyard getting burned. The smoke was blowing in the opposite direction.”
Throughout Rocky and Jerusalem, shifting winds kept thick smoke off the vineyards. Even the three wineries closest to danger — Six Sigma, Cache Creek and Noggle — saw little in the way of lingering smoke.
“These last couple of days have been hazy, but we could have had it a lot worse,” Merrilees agreed.
With smoke taint a non issue and the threat of El Nino rains fading, winemakers are left to ponder the effects of an early harvest.
“The vines have been reacting in a way that’s counterintuitive,” Hughes pointed out. Fluctuations in the spring and triple digit heat through the summer confused the vines, at least from his observation. “The leaves get that fall coloring, and it’s not water stress,” he continued. “The effect is similar to a cold area.”
So in addition to concentrated flavors, Hughes expects sugar levels to develop in a such a way that complexities in the finished product will follow.
“If this is the new normal,” he said, “I’m OK with it.”
